Malaysian ex-PM accused of blocking 1MDB probe as Mahathir starts work

Malaysia's toppled leader Najib Razak was today accused by a former top graft fighter of blocking probes into a massive financial scandal, as the country's new prime minister got down to work after a historic poll win.

Najib's Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition last week suffered a shock defeat to an alliance of parties headed by elderly Mahathir Mohamad, ending the corruption-mired regime's six decades in power.

Voters turned out en masse to oust Najib after he was accused of involvement in plundering huge sums from Malaysian sovereign fund 1MDB in a sophisticated fraud that is now being investigated in several countries.

The 92-year-old Mahathir -- who ruled with an iron fist for two decades and came out of retirement to take on Najib -- is now the world's oldest elected leader.

Abdul Razak Idris -- former intelligence and investigations director of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission -- lodged reports with the body alleging Najib tried to stop the probe into losses at 1MDB.

The US State Department alleges that at least USD 4.5 billion was looted from the fund, and funnelled to the United States where it was used to buy everything from artwork to high-end real estate and a luxury yacht.

Both Najib and 1MDB deny any wrongdoing and he was cleared by domestic investigations.

The deputy chief commissioner of the anti-graft body, Azam Baki, confirmed to AFP that Abdul Razak had submitted complaints.

A copy of the complaints, seen by AFP, said that Najib was suspected on his own, or with the help of civil servants, of having tried to stop the 1MBD investigations.

He was also accused of halting a probe into a retirement fund.

"The reason I am lodging the reports today is so that the MACC can take swift action," he was cited as saying by The Star newspaper.

He said some people were worried about him taking the "bold" step but added: "I'm already 69 years old. If I die, I die for the country."